Armor’s Opportunities

Armor has the opportunity to quote fabrication for locomotive frames, shaker boxes, and other large heavy fabrication items. Given Armor’s large facility, located in Mason, Ohio, and the skilled workers at Armor, these large fabricated items are ideal for Armor Contract.

Large items such as these are also capable of being painted in the new 30x20x14 paint booth.
Nothing is too big or too small for Armor to handle.

Armor Blast Booth

Armor has installed a new Shot Blast Booth in their Mason, Ohio, facility. It is 26′w x 16′h x 45′l, with working space of 24′x14’6″x44′. The hook height is 14′. Weight limit is 3000 pounds with 15′ center. Typical media type is HG-40. This booth will work in conjunction with the new Primer Booth, Top Coat Booth, and Finish Booth also recently installed and operational.

Application for the booth is for commercial and military sales of heavy fabricated products like shipping containers. The size of the booth makes it ideal for large automotive products and oversized materials requiring cleaning and painting.

Look for pictures to be posted soon in the picture library and on the Armor website: ArmorMetal.com.

New Quality Manager hired at Armor Metal

Armor Metal welcomes new Quality and Safety Manager, Bob Vogel, to the Armor family. Bob will start his responsibilities at Armor on Monday, 10/18, at the Mason facility.

Bob has twenty years of quality work experience and is also a metallurgist. He has a strong understanding of lean manufacturing, total quality management, and ISO 9001 standards. Bob continues to learn and receive certifications for all types of quality, safety, and environmental trainings. He has an excellent manufacturing background and will be a great asset to Armor as a whole.

Armor Receives Re-certification for ISO-9001

Armor is happy to share that they continue to be an ISO 9001 certified company. The policies and procedures Armor uses to produce high quality products are thorough and well documented. They passed the audit with only 2 areas of needed improvement, which were met almost immediately. Armor’s track record remains clean as continuous improvements are made to raise the standard of work produced by Armor.

G-2 ISO 9001 Certificate

Armor Re-Certified as WBE Business

Armor is pleased to remain a member of the WBE (Women’s Business Enterprise), with the re-certification being extended by the Women’s Business Enterprise National council.

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), founded in 1997, is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned controlled, and operated by women in the United States. WBENC, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit, partners with 14 Regional Partner Organizations to provide its national standard of certification to women-owned businesses throughout the country. WBENC  is also the nation’s leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America’s corporations. [http://www.wbenc.org/About-WBENC/]

Armor appreciates the opportunities available through WBENC and the accompanying WBE Certification. Many potential customers specifically seek out Women Owned Businesses to satisfy their diversity programs and requirements. The certification initiates a win-win for Armor and the customer.

Armor Attends Shows/Symposiums

Armor has attended a few recent defense related shows/ symposiums and have several more upcoming events in the later part of this year. Unfortunately the overriding theme discovered in these events seems to be the poor economy and the tightening/slowing of the Government procurements. The Government sources at these sites differ greatly on these issues depending on what they are involved with. Some sites are extremely busy and optimistic while a few have seen budget cuts and realignment.

 

Government Containers

 Several of the new or planned programs have been slowed, put on hold or even canceled. This is impacting industry at all levels to varying degrees. Everyone is/has been discussing the fact that they are seeing the timing from quote to order being extremely unpredictable. There are programs that continue to be funded, expedited and considered safe and if fortunate to be involved in those then there may have been very little impact to your business. But, if you are heavily involved in programs that are being modified or slowed then the impacts have been considerably negative. With some of Armor’s current business involvement in programs limited to supplying spare or replacement parts needing containers we have seen a slowing, reduction or cancellation of these purchases and considerable increase in competition from many new and unproven sources. The reality of this has been some awards to suspect companies with what appears to be unrealistic pricing. While in most cases these companies will discover their error and adjust the pricing on upcoming bids this still reduces the current business that is available. This situation is, as discovered, not unique to Armor and has been echoed by and through many contacts at these recent shows and even is taking place in many other business fields.

 

Government Container

Fortunately, Armor does have a very strong and loyal customer base built over the past fifty years that has allowed us to maintain our core business even if it is at a much slower pace than desired. Our business that relates more to supplying new items is currently strong and the prospects continue to look favorable in this area.  We have several upcoming new programs we are awaiting kick off. Also, Amor is currently stepping up our efforts of identifying new and possibly different types of opportunities we would like to pursue. We are continually making new contacts and searching for these opportunities. These recent shows and upcoming events are giving us the opportunity to meet with many existing customers to discuss new opportunities they may have. We are sharing information about our new facility and our expanded capabilities. It is also allowing us to make many new contacts with the hope of discovering an existing or upcoming opportunity with them. Getting in on new programs and finding new customers will certainly help us through these trying and unpredictable times.

Armor Enjoys Profit Sharing

For the first time in several years, Armor is able to celebrate the success of its business by providing a profit sharing check to eligible employees. The company has several guidelines regarding its profit sharing plan that have precluded profit sharing payouts over the past 2-3 years. Business profits, forecasts, accounts receivable, and other factors all need to be such that the company can feel secure in distibuting profit sharing checks.
Congratulations to Armor for being a successful company and rewarding their employees with this benefit.

Today’s Focus: Piping

Armor Contract is capable of fabricating piping for applications used in waste water treatment plants and industrial piping needs. Contact John Patton at jpatton@armorcontract.com to discuss your piping needs.

A few new pictures added to Picture Library

What would you like to see at Armor? Their diversity of products? Their people at work? Their machinery in process of cutting, stamping, bending, rolling, grinding, or punching? Send a suggestion and efforts will be made to post a picture for your request.

New Paint Booth

Today’s Focus: Job Opportunity

Armor Metal is looking for a Manufacturing/Design Engineer. Apply directly here: https://home.eease.com/recruit/?id=408909